Thundergaz, you should get your wish regarding the firm ground as we have had a week of glorious spring sunshine and the grounds are drying out great. I was at Newcastle at the weekend where it was freezing cold and 4 inches of snow. I got back to west Cumbria in time for the Town - Sheffield match played in glorious sunshine. I think the forecast from now to Sunday is quite good as well.

I remember when .............................

"It is impossible not to feel a twinge of sympathy for Workington Town, the fall guys this season for the Super League's determination to retain it's European dimension, in the shape of Paris. While the French have had every assistance to survive, the importance of having a flagship in a heartland area like West Cumbria has been conveniently forgotten." - Dave Hadfield - Independent 25th August 1996.

Yeah true reading it back it is a bad choice of words. What I meant to say is I have a lot if confidence in our team for once to get the job done and done well. It's just nice not to be in the jaws of watching ###### week in week out for a change which we indured for so long. I'm confident in our team as long as its not a final í ˝í¸„í ˝í¸„í ˝í¸„.

You need to work on your metaphors! And poor choice of words? Giving the wrong impression? No surely not!

No saints DR players this week ,woods sticking with our own squad again

Clever bloke is woods. He's done the right thing as he probably felt you wouldn't beat us with the saints players in your squad anyway. So he probably wants to see how far off his set of players are when it comes to the top 5 teams. Very shrewd indeed good bit of thinking if this is the case.

Clever bloke is woods. He's done the right thing as he probably felt you wouldn't beat us with the saints players in your squad anyway. So he probably wants to see how far off his set of players are when it comes to the top 5 teams. Very shrewd indeed good bit of thinking if this is the case.

Haven have only used SL players once this season. Once again, think about how arrogant this will come across to Haven supporters who look in on this forum. Woods will be going all out to try and beat us this week, as he should.

not really arrogant i said similar myself.if we drafted in 3 or 4 saints players and still got beat then where do we go from there?so let those who let the club down last week put it right.A very tough game but dont expect a walkover,we will always be tough on our own pitch

Haven have only used SL players once this season. Once again, think about how arrogant this will come across to Haven supporters who look in on this forum. Woods will be going all out to try and beat us this week, as he should.

It's not arrogance it's being realistic. Obviously woods and his team will be going out to beat us I wouldn't expect any different. But if they did beat us I would be very surprised and not happy with our squad and coaching staff. If we want to win things no dis respect to haven but we should be beating teams like them easily.

DAVE Woods is not preparedÂ Â look for a â€śquick fixâ€ť solution and ask St Helensâ€™ superstars to bale out Whitehaven against league leaders Featherstone Rovers on Sunday.

The Haven coach has the option of turning to the Super League giants, their partner club, but is determined to show faith in his own squad, in their toughest test of the season to date.

He said: â€śIt would be easy for me as coach to ask for Tommy Makinson, if heâ€™s not playing this week, or Gary Wheeler, but it would send out the wrong message.

â€śI donâ€™t think thatâ€™s a long term fix. Itâ€™s a quick fix. We have to look to Whitehaven Rugby League, rather than expect help from others, though there will be times we need to use Saintsâ€™ players. We need a reaction from our boys.â€ť

Woods reckons Featherstone, who have topped the table for the past three seasons, are the ideal opponents to face after last weekâ€™s second-half debacle at Dewsbury, as many outside the club are writing off their chances.

â€śItâ€™s a good thing that itâ€™s Featherstone, because no one expects us to do anything,â€ť he said. â€śBut I expect to win every game, and if we do everything right, we can beat anyone on our day.

â€śThey have been the top side for three years and itâ€™s a difficult ask. Itâ€™s a very, very difficult assignment, but we have faith in our boys.â€ť

Woods has only looked to Saints once this term, Ade Gardner and Anthony Walker both turning in fine performances in the win at Keighley.

Back-rower Matty Dale, who had a short loan stint at the Recre in 2007 when with Hull FC, is available for Rovers after missing the win against Hunslet last weekend with a shoulder injury, but Jack Bussey (shoulder) is still doubtful.

Second-row Tim Spears is ready to make his first-team comeback following shoulder surgery.

Rovers coach Daryl Powell said: â€śWeâ€™ve a short turn round next week, playing Whitehaven on Sunday and Keighley next Thursday, so I will looking to utilise the full squad for those two games and Tim Spears will probably play in one of the two matches.â€ťk for a â€śquick fixâ€ť solution and ask St Helensâ€™ superstars to bale out Whitehaven against league leaders Featherstone Rovers on Sunday.

I do hope we have too much for Haven on Sunday but its always a tricky place to go! They still have Rooney, always a danger don't care what anyone says and JJ Parker too! Signed a big Pap player this week so their making strides and I like them in this division! It's always a banana skin and I'm glad Woods is going with his own guys! Plus I like the colours of their kit, no blue n white hoops like but still! Like haven n what their trying to do up there! Always try n bring numbers and looking forward to getting them down here!